Bouygues UK has welcomed representatives of Swansea Council, the UK Government and other project partners on site at 71/72 The Kingsway to mark the official ‘topping out’ for the major five-storey office development in Swansea city centre.
Located at the former Oceana nightclub site, when finished the building will house up to 600 workers, will be operationally carbon zero and is worth £32.6 million a year to Swansea’s economy.
Bouygues UK’s Operations Director for Wales and the South West, Stephen Davies showed the client delegation which included Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Wales James Davies and Swansea Council leader Rob Stewart, around the construction site, where five floors and two basement levels have now been completed.
Swansea Council is developing the project and it is being built by Bouygues UK. It is part-funded by the £1.3 billion Swansea Bay City Deal.
The scheme, earmarked for completion in early 2024, will include 114,000 square feet of commercial floor space with flexible co-working and office opportunities for businesses in sectors like tech, digital and the creative industries. Other features of the new development include a roof terrace, a new link between The Kingsway and Oxford Street, and balconies overlooking the city centre and Swansea Bay.
The building will include solar panels on top of the building, as well as heat recovery systems to minimise energy use. It will also include 69 bike spaces and electric bike charging as well as extensive shower and changing facilities.
Stephen Davies said: “Bouygues UK is very proud to be working with Swansea Council on this landmark project for the city. It was a pleasure to welcome to the site so they could see the brilliant progress that is being made.
“Sustainability is hugely important to Bouygues UK and it’s wonderful to work on such an innovative and environmentally-friendly building. The fact that the building, when finished, will operate at net zero is very important to us as a business, as it’s our ambition to achieve this on all of our sites and builds.
“71/72 The Kingsway is a key part of the history and infrastructure of the city centre, and this landmark building certainly fills the need for high quality office accommodation. The mix of commercial and office space is going to be a great asset to Swansea, along with the other ongoing regeneration projects.”
Cllr Rob Stewart, Swansea Council Leader, said: “The topping-out event marks another milestone for the construction of this landmark scheme, which is needed due to the limited amount of high-quality office accommodation in Swansea. Visiting the site has enabled us not just to see for ourselves the progress that’s already been made, but also to learn from our main scheme contractor Bouygues UK about some of the exciting digital tools soon to be used as part of the project as the development gathers even more pace.
“Once complete, this scheme will offer the kind of modern, flexible office space we know our businesses need to thrive, particularly in the digital, tech and creative industry sectors where an agile workspace with networking opportunities and high-quality digital connectivity is so important. The scheme has attracted significant attention from potential tenants, and it will also benefit other city centre businesses by generating more footfall and spending.”
Wales Office Minister James Davies said: “I was delighted to attend this exciting milestone in the construction of 71/72 Kingsway in Swansea. The UK Government is proud of our investment in the Swansea Bay City Deal which, along with our partners, has built this brilliant new facility for the city.
“The UK Government is focused on creating jobs and spreading prosperity in Wales and this development will do exactly that by providing space for 600 jobs in growing sectors.”
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